Inspection plug



v section showing a. Water column in. conjunc- Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

@mornin-nzA snncnnn on? CHELGAGQ; riuLlltolSr, Y

Applcationled Octoberv 19,192.57.. SerialNo: 63,487.

'.lliis: invention. relates. tof an=y inspectn plig': or device .wherebyitj is possible to determine, the-Condition or the interiory the'wvater'column or other Water container Without breaking any. of the .usualvconnections. .Y One object therefore isztof.- provide inspection-.meansfor a. Water column.v iinother.. object. is tir provide an` inspectionmeansfor a' water column in conneetionjwith boiler and.. gauge. whereby,an. inspection may be made of the interior of' the Water. column andLwhereby a; sample of Whatever sediment hasbeenv deposited maybe readilyWith-dranni-:x therefrom. Other objects will^ appear.: from time to,time throughout the specification. and claims. l

invention is` illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drat'ving,l wherein.:` y Figure l` isza. side 'elevationwith. partsin tiom with. aboiler gaugev with' the inspection plug inposition;v

v Ffgggurel 2, 's an enlarged. vertical'. cross section; i the watercolumn showing the: in spectonpllgs; A i Y i FigurefV is an, enlargedelevational" View of'theplugremoved.;

Fguretjis atransverse cross section taken online ofFigure 3.-4 v' Lillieparts: are indicated by, like characters throughout., v

designated generally a boiler; Bs a Water column, provided. with; a,lower con-.- nection BP which. communicates' as att' B2nwith.the,intenter of the boiler.Vv Extending from the connection B1 isa pipe BF" provid'- ed. with. a, valve B?. The detailsof this lattel:constructonfitorm;no, part of' the present inventibne fAt the upper endoi the'water column is. aconnection B which'I through ak pipeQBa'and"co1inection B7 communicates alsofwi'th, the? boiler.` Y

G is. al gauge connected through thev pipe 'Ghandi the fitting C2Aadjacent the bottom of the water column. C? is a, valve or cock whichlcontrols the passage of liquid from the water.' columnto the gauge. CQ*is an outletconnection. C5 isa4 'connection passing present invention.

from the Water column adjacent its top, and through. a` pipe C6communicating! with the upper end' ofthe gauge, C? is. a valveycontrolling this passage. i The details otcon-y Stlfuetiolnn of thegauge tornaV no v'part of the ,D is an inspectionY Y It is provided witha squared, organgularly shaped'endj D1; It istlireaded as shown and 'isprovidjedvvith. an inner endiD2 having aplurality ofcupshapedv pocketsE3' formed` by laterally eX!- tending vanes Dt. Each oi' these vanes` isformed" preferably with two comparatively:

sharp or cutting edges,v although this is not essential. The pockets inthe ,inwardlypro-n jectingfend of' the plug protectthe; materialdeposited thereinrom displacement during the removalL oftheplug; AAlthough Iffhave shown anoperative device,v sti-lllv it vvillV beobvious` that many. changes. might be made in size, shape andlarrangement of 'parts Without departifngma.

terially'v from. the spiritl off` myinve-ntion; and 'Wish, thereore thatmysho-Wing be taken as in a sense diagrammatic.

The use 'and operation Oijmy4 invention are asffolloWs: .V The parts areassembled asshown and Water is conducted to the Water column; so

that the inner end of the threadedx portion .the plug ID3-correspondsgenerally with the interior yofthe Water Vcolu-n'un and" thus the outerorbottom ends ofthe pockets-D3* are I on a line with the interiorl oftheWatercol-iumn. K i.

, Buring theV operationqofx the devices;n with which;v the Water:column., is associated the Water;` of course passes more or less`constantly through the column. In the course of time various sedimentsandl sol-id matters vvillbe deposited out of the Water and Vwillllodge,inthe-Water column orl adhereY toits Walls, or otherwise becomemore orless'per-r manently iffxed Within it. This makes it necessary toclean out the Water column.` Heretotore, in order to do; this, it has'been necessary to drain the boiler beljovv the bottom Water column,connection andthen to disconnect all of; the various connections so 'asto remove the Water, column `before .even

the inspectionV can Abe made. Sometimes after all; of this has beendone,A it is found by thei'nspection that cleaning is not yet necessary.By the use of` the inspectionplug shown itis not necessary to removethe'water column.V The boiler may be drained to a pointv belenT theclevel' of? the inspection plug and'ithen Without thefnecessitylofbreaking any of the connections thel inspectionjpl'ug is ,screvvedoutand-removed. Hsed-imentA has fgormedtwithin thevvater column or it'i anysolid matter has separated; out andr adhered to 'thecolumin itA willalso adhere tofthe 1 fil inspection plug. Thus when the ins ection plughas been removed, there will ad iere to it some of the material adheringto"or remaining Within thewater column, and this will show the depth orthickness and quality of the sediment. rlhus by an inspection of thesample adheriner and lodging within the pockets of' the inspectionplug', it is possible at onceto tell the condition ol the interior ofthe Water column. There further inspection is desired, an inspectingortesting tool or rod may be inserted through the hole from which the plugwas removed and the necessar?v further inspection can be carried out. It1s possible also to clean the `Water column throughthe opening. i n

The shape of the portion of the plugwhich extends into the water spacewithin `the member B is such that at all times one oit the cavities ordepressions in this part of the plug faces upward. Thus Whateversettlement takes place `from the Water or other fluid passing throughwill` tind ready lon ging lace in oneor more of the depressions of tlieplug, and thus no matter what the quality oi" the liquid, and no matterwhat the quality` of the material which settles `out Afrom it, it Willalways find a. settlinguplace on the plug Where it may be received andretained. o i

1. In combination with a liquid container through which liquid passes,an inspection hole and a plug located therein, said plug rovided `with aportion having a receiving depression Within it.

2. In combination with a liquid container through which liquid passes,an inspection hole and a `plug located therein, said lug provided on itsinner end with a portion av- ,ing a receiving depression within it.

3. In combination with a liquid container through which liquid passes,an inspection hole and a plug located therein, said plug provided witha. portionhaving a` receiving depression Within it, and a cutting edgeadjacent said depression.

4. In combination with a liquid container through which liquid passes,an inspection hole and a plug located therein, said plug provided onitsinner end with a portion having a receiving depression within it, anda cutting edge adjacent said depression.

5. A container, means adapted to permit the passage of fluidtherethrough, means for determining the condition of the interior ofsaid container, said means comprising an inspection hole in the Wall otsaid container, and a-plug adapted to `lit into said hole to close thesame, t iat portion of the inner end of said plug which rejects intosaid container being provide( `with a receiving portion shaped toreceive material which ma)7 be `deposited from the fluid Within thecontainer and to protect such material from displaceof the plug.

nent from the plug during removal of the p uo'.

Gl.D A container, means adapted to permit the passage ofiiuidtherethrough, means for determining the condition ot' the interior of he`deposited from the fluid Within the conf trainer, and to protect suchmaterial from displacementfrom the plug during removal olf the plug.

7. Alcontainer, means adapted to permit the passage ot' fluidtherethrough, means for determining the condition of the interior ,ofsaid container, said meansl comprising an inspection hole in the Wallsaid container, and a plug adapted toiit into said hole to close thesame, the inner end of said plug adapted to extend inwardly beyond thewall out such containei","and being provided with a `receiving `portionadapted to receive material which may be deposited from the fluid withinthe container, the outer end ot such receiving portion ternjiinating theWall of the container.

8. A container, means for determining the condition of the interior ofsaid container,

said means comprising an inspection hole in the wallofsaid container,and a plug adapted `to lit finto said holeto closethe same, the innerendet said plug adapted to extend inwardly beyond the Wall of suchcontainer, and being provided throughout its entire length Within thecontainer with a receiving portion shaped to receive material which maybe deposited from the fluid Within the container and to protect suchmaterial from displacement :trom the plug during removal 9. A container,means :tor determining the condition oil the interior of said container,said means comprising an inspection hole in the wall oi" said container,and a plug adapted to lit into saidihole to close the same, the innerend o'lsaid plug adapted to extend inwardly` beyond the `Wall of` suchcontainer, and` being provided With a `receiving portion adapted toreceive material which may be deposited from the liuid with- 1n thecontainer, the outer endroi such receiving` portion terminating at theWall of o, `the container.

l0,` In combination with aliquid container Athrough which liquid passes,aninspection `hole and `a` plug located'therein, said plugextendinglivithin the container, and sha ed to retain-n'iaterialdeposited thereon an` to protect such material from displacement fromthe plug during removal of the plug.

11. In combination with a liquid container through which liquid passes,an inspection hole and a plug located therein, said plug extendingWithin the container, and shaped to retain material deposited thereonand provided With al cutting edge.

12. In combination with a liquid container, means for determining thecondition of the interior of such container and the presence, depth,condition and nature of any material deposited on the inside of suchcontainer, said means including an inspection hole in such containeradapted to be opened to permit inspection of the interior of thecontainer and to permit the insertion of in-.-

specting tools, and a plug to close such hole, said plug provided on itsinnerend With an irregularly shaped end adapted to project Within thecontainer, to receive in equal measure with the sides of such containermaterial deposited thereon.

13. In combination With a liquid cont'ainer, means for determining thecondition of the interior of such container and theV presence, depth,condition and nature of any material deposited on the inside of suchcontainer, said means including an inspection hole in such containeradapted to be opened to permit inspection of the interior of thecontainer and to permit the insertion of inq specting tools, and a plugto close such hole,

said plug provided With pockets adapted to retain material depositedthereon when the plug has been removed from the container.

14. In combination with a liquid container, means adapted to permit thecirculation of liquid therethrough, and means 'for determining thecondition of the interior of such container and the presence, depth,condition and nature of any material deposited on the inside of suchcontainer, said means including an inspection hole in suoli containeradapted to be opened to permit inspection of the interior of thecontainer and to permit the insertion of inspecting tools and a plug toclose said hole, said plug provided on its inner end with an irregularlyshaped end adapted to project Within the container, to receive in equalmeasure with the sides of such container, material deposited thereon,said irregularly shaped end comprising pockets adapted to retainmaterial so deposited When the plug has been removed from the container.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 13th dayof October,

GEORGE H. SARGENT.

